It was a tone of almost ferocity with which she spoke, and the trembling lip, the flashing eye, and the swollen veins on her temple betrayed the self-scorn racking her heart within her.

A bang at the hall-door, and heavy footsteps on the marble pavement, forced her to composure.

“Old-maidish to the last!” (the lady commenced picking the dead leaves off a geranium).  “This geranium looks as if you had watched it a year; and this old gray hat, I suppose, you have hung above it for good luck.”

“The hat belongs to a friend abroad, and is not to be moved until his safe return; but the geranium was presented not a week ago by my ever-faithful money.  You see the magic charm.  Here are careful watching, weeks of anxiety, and, no doubt, a modicum of affection (for I have heard people say they loved flowers), bartered away for one milreis.”

“Apropos of money,—­I thought I was to have a view of the treasures of Aladdin, locked up in the vaults below.”

“Of a surety you shall.”

Reed excused himself, and in a short time reappeared, bearing a large iron casket.  Mademoiselle Milan’s face turned a shade or two paler when she saw him; for he was accompanied by Edgar Fay.  It had now become quite dark, and Percy Reed lighted the gas-jet before opening the casket.  It was made in imitation of the ordinary iron safe, but opening at the top.

When the glare of the gas struck the dark recesses of the velvet lining, a gleam of radiance shot up that fairly dazzled.  Great grains of light, large as peas, shimmered and glittered with an unearthly brilliancy.  Blue, purple, violet, and a gorgeous white that combined the whole, sparkled in their turn with weird splendor.  It looked like a flash from heaven turned suddenly on a startled world.  Both Mademoiselle Milan and Fay stood breathless with astonishment, and it was many minutes before they regained their composure.

Hearing the heavy rumbling caused by the lowering of the iron shutters in the counting-room, Mademoiselle urged Mr. Reed to return the gems to the vault before it closed.

He assured her it was entirely unnecessary, saying that larceny was a crime unknown to Brazilians, and that he had provided for exigencies such as this.  Moving the piles of thread and embroidery silk to the side of the table, he touched a spring, and a lid flew up.  The table, though presenting the appearance of fragility itself, was really of iron, and contained a vault that would puzzle the most expert of burglars.

Just then Dupleisis called from the street, and both Reed and Edgar Fay went out on the gallery to see him.  He had made arrangements to spend the night with a friend, and the three stood chatting for some minutes, the Frenchman giving an amusing description of his adventures among the Brazileiros.

Shortly afterward, Mademoiselle Milan and Fay took their leave.  The wind by this time was blowing so fiercely that no taper could live in the gusts; so both were compelled to grope their way through the hall, which was dark as Erebus.